Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station: Historic Beach Apparatus Drill and the Heroic Mirlo Rescue

Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station (pronounced chi-ka-ma-COM-i-co), with its two stations and five outbuildings, stands as the most complete surviving life-saving station in North Carolina and one of the nation's finest. Located on Hatteras Island in Rodanthe, Outer Banks, North Carolina, this historic site and museum preserves a vital piece of maritime heritage.

Operated by a dedicated Historical Association, the site's mission is to restore, preserve, protect, educate, and interpret the legacy of the U.S. Life-Saving Service's brave surfmen, along with the station's buildings and artifacts. Marking the 1918 Mirlo Rescue—whose centennial was in 2018—the site has hosted commemorative events, including historically accurate reenactments.

Accounts of the Mirlo Rescue vary slightly across sources, including newspapers, Cape Hatteras National Seashore studies, surfmen interviews, local lore, Keeper John Allen Midgett's logbook, and the German U-117 submarine's war diary. These primary records provide compelling accuracy, while storytelling vividly captures the ordeal faced by Midgett, his crew, and survivors. The event features a precise Beach Apparatus Drill reenactment, as described by Apparatus Drill Keeper Larry Grubbs.

After a 17-year hiatus, the all-volunteer, all-civilian Beach Apparatus Drill Team revived this tradition at Chicamacomico—one of the first U.S. Life-Saving Service stations on the North Carolina coast. On Thursday afternoons, they perform the drill per 1871 regulations established by Sumner I. Kimball, Chief of the Revenue Marine Division, U.S. Treasury.

The season begins in late May, preparing the rigging, beach cart, wreck pole, and simulated ship's mast for the Lyle gun—a 19th-century line-throwing cannon central to the drill. Supported by the Board of Directors for logistics and insurance, the team logged 239 training hours in 2017. Each of the 12 members masters all roles, trained in Lyle gun safety, crowd control, knots, rigging, and public speaking. Their commitment exemplifies the original surfmen's dedication.

In 2017, the team delivered 11 public performances, including one with Camden High School's Junior Leadership Program. Relive 19th-century heroism through these ongoing demonstrations. Check the Chicamacomico website for current schedules and details.